What African island nation was the battleground between the Vichy French and the British campaign to prevent Imperial Japan from accessing its ports?

Believe it or not, Madagascar wasn't out of the picture in WWII. In fact, it was the scene of the first large-scale Allied operation. The battle between the British and the Vichy French (who controlled the island) resulted in the success of Operation Ironclad and the subsequent success of Operation Stream Line Jane, allowing the British to seize the port of Diego-Suarez in May of 1942 and the entire island by November. This shored up Allied shipping routes to Southeast Asia, Australia, and India, and cut off the ports to the Imperial Japanese Navy.

Asked by Jessica Holom · Last updated 5 years ago · 193.3K views · SOURCE